NBCUniversal’s second-quarter television results showed declining advertising numbers for its cable networks and a slight ad gain for its broadcast properties.
The Comcast Corp
unit’s cable networks sank 3% in the period, with broadcast showing a “slight increase” in advertising revenues. Overall, cable network revenues slipped 1% to $2.5 billion, while
broadcast was flat at $1.8 billion.
Both cable and broadcast networks showed improvements in carriage fees from pay TV companies. Distribution revenue was up 5.6% for cable; with broadcast
getting higher retransmission fees.
The big star for NBCUniversal during the period was its filmed unit -- thanks to “Furious 7” and “Jurassic World.” Revenue almost
doubled -- 92.7% to $2.3 billion. Operating cash flow also nearly doubled in size to $422 million from $227 million.
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Theme parks also witnessed rising revenue -- up 25.7% to $773 million,
coming from higher attendance, as well as success at its "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter -- Diagon Alley” in Orlando.
Comcast cable operations witnessed better results when it came
to declining video customer operations -- losing 69,000 versus 144,000 in the second quarter 2014. Revenue for its video business rose 3.7% to $5.4 billion.
Business for its broadband
customers rose by 180,000 with voice adding 49,000.
Local advertising revenues were flat at $582 million versus $587 million in the second quarter 2014.
Comcast cable communications
revenues -- which includes video, broadband, voice, advertising, and business sales -- were up 6.3% to $11.7 billion.
Company-wide Comcast Corp. second-quarter revenue grew 11.3% to $18.7
billion. Net income was up 8% to $4.3 billion.